The marine industry equipment manufacturer Kalmar has delivered a total of 18 forklift trucks to Algeria's leading drilling contractor Entreprise Nationale des Travaux aux Puits (ENTP).
According to a press release from Kalmar, part of Cargotec, the company will also support ENTP with parts supply and provide operator training to their staff. The machines, ordered in the first quarter of 2018, were delivered during the third quarter.
Established in 1981, ENTP is the leading drilling contractor in Algeria with a market share of close to 45 percent. The company performs drilling and maintenance operations on both deep-water and hydrocarbon wells across Algeria.
ENTP is a subsidiary of Sonatrach, which is Algeria's largest company in terms of both turnover and number of employees. The Kalmar forklifts are deployed at the company's site in Hassi Messaoud, Ouargla in eastern Algeria and have a lifting capacity of 14 tons.
Kalmar G-Generation forklifts are designed to offer customers the best possible return on investment over the lifespan of the machine. They are ideal for demanding applications such as handling heavy, bulky loads such as a section of pipe or pieces of drilling equipment, and combine low fuel consumption and superior lifting performance with easy maintenance and excellent reliability.
A variable hydraulic fan keeps the engine and hydraulics cool even in the most extreme operating conditions, which was was a key factor in ENTP's decision to choose Kalmar machines. Also important was Kalmar's ability to adapt the machines according to the customer's unique requirements, which included fitting the machines with a spark arrestor system to prevent any sparks from the machine's engine from accidentally igniting flammable materials in the immediate vicinity.
Alejandro Martinez, Mobile Equipment Solutions Sales Manager at Kalmar, said: "We are delighted that ENTP has chosen our next-generation forklifts to support their drilling operations in Hassi Messaoud. They are the ideal choice for ensuring optimal performance in precisely the kinds of tough desert conditions that ENTP operates in, where extreme temperatures, sand, and dust are a constant challenge. This deal also marks a further step forward in our strategy to focus on new industrial segments, building on the excellent market share we already enjoy in the cargo-handling sector in Algeria."
